"I Said 'Yes!'" By Jacquelyn Matoian.      When I graduated from high school in Colorado in the spring of 2002, I knew I wanted adventure and excitement. My choice for college was American University in Washington, DC. Why American? Well, they gave me a partial scholarship, and that was good enough for me!  My parents were extremely supportive of my decision to go so far away from home. Although they knew they would miss me, they wanted to do everything in their power to help me reach my dreams.

I decided to major in Business Administration, and during my college years, I completed several internships in various fields, including financial management, marketing, and real estate.  While I knew I would be in a position to earn a high-paying salary working in real estate or marketing, I found that I did not feel a strong connection to the work.  In my head, I knew that if I was going to be picking a career, it had better be something I enjoyed doing! I have always been a health-conscious, physically-active person, dancing since I was three. Typically, I eat healthy foods, and I have never smoked or done drugs.  My interest in good health was so high when I was in middle school that I actually wrote an article on eating disorders for a teen magazine. Even though health had always interested me, it wasn't until college that my interest deepened.  It happened during the last semester of my senior year when I took a course entitled "Issues in Women’s Health."  The professor teaching the class was Laurie Tucker, who would later supervise me in my first “health promotion” job.  While a student in her class, I realized that I wanted to go into health promotion as a career.   Professor Tucker told me about the Health Promotion Management Masters program at American, and also told me about the United States Postal Service Health Promotion Program, which was contracted through American University.   She was the Program Manager for the contract, and impressed with my work ethic in her class, offered me a job. My parents, wanting what was best for me, were a little concerned with my decision. Financially, they were worried that my going back to school would be the wrong choice.  Because I worked for American University, my tuition would be paid for if I continued to work full-time while in school. So that’s what I did. Already having thousands of dollars in undergraduate loans, I didn’t want to incur more debt.    I knew that working and going to school would be a challenge, but I decided it was the right decision for me. (In case you don’t know, health promotion is not one of the highest paying fields out there.) When I told people I was planning to get my Masters Degree in Health Promotion, almost everyone asked me, “What’s Health Promotion?”     It’s actually a good question since Health Promotion is a fairly new field in the United States, and there are many different definitions for it. A good working definition is this: “The development, implementation, and evaluation of educational programs aiming to improve health and prevent chronic disease with lifestyle behaviors.”   I believe health promotion is vitally important because of the decline in the overall health of the United States in the past fifty years. Obesity and diabetes rates have skyrocketed. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease and cancer are the #1 and #2 causes of death for both men and women, making up almost 50% of all deaths.   The risk factors for both heart disease and cancer are increased by controllable lifestyle factors like diet, physical activity, weight, stress, and environment. It is essential that people are educated and understand the importance of proper nutrition, exercise, weight and stress management.   In the summer of 2008, I graduated with my Masters degree. I am very proud of the decision I made to continue schooling in something that I am extremely passionate about. A couple of weeks ago, while talking to my dad on the phone, he began reading me an article about the importance of having passion for what you do. As I listened, I realized how much I agreed with the author of the article. Another minute went by and I realized that the author of the article was me, and it was no article at all, but my admissions essay for graduate school!  My dad had found it while cleaning out some papers in his office. After he finished reading it, he asked me if I still felt the same passion today as I did when I applied to the program. My answer was “yes.”   About GAO Wellness and Fitness Center:   L&T Health and Fitness was founded in 1984 by two women and has been a leader in worksite fitness management and health promotion delivery for over 25 years. L&T serves many government agencies including the Government Accountability Office Headquarters building in Washington DC. L&T has worked with the GAO Fitness and Athletic Association since 1989 to provide employees with a Wellness and Fitness Center and the opportunity to make health a priority in their lives. The Center provides health promotion events including incentive programs, lectures and workshops, health screenings, and an annual health fair. Several group exercise classes are offered daily including cycle, step, kickboxing, yoga and Pilates, and strengthening classes. In addition, staff members will work with individuals to meet their health and fitness goals through personal training. The GAO Wellness and Fitness Center is also open to federal employees and contractors with other agencies.   Jacquelyn Matoian’s Bio:   Jacquelyn has been working in the health and wellness field for over three years. Currently as a Health Promotion Coordinator for L&T Health and Fitness, a government contracting company, she develops, implements, and evaluates health promotion programs, lectures, and health fairs for the Government Accountability Office Headquarters in Washington, DC. She also has a primary group exercise certification from the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), as well as a personal trainer certification from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).   She left her home in Colorado to study at American University in Washington, DC, where she earned her Bachelor’s in Business Administration before going to work in the health and wellness field.  While working full time at the United States Postal Service Health Promotion Program, Jacquelyn earned her Master’s in Health Promotion Management from American University.   Jacquelyn is very passionate about the major health issues affecting the United States today. She hopes to make a positive contribution to the state of the country’s health in her career and everyday life. She strives to make positive health changes not only in the lives of the people she knows and loves, but in her own life as well.